Transfer apparatus



Oct. 26 1926.

J. W. FREE TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 'lNVE/VTOR WI TNEG 3E6 Oct. 26 1926. 1,604,270

- J. W. FREE TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 F iii-3.112-

WITNESSES J. W. FREE TRANSFER APPARATUS Filed July 27, 1925 4 ShQQtS-SX'XGGT. 5

L FIGJE.

FIEYL [I Oct. 26 1926.

J. W. FREE TRANSFER APPARATUS FiledJuly 27. 3925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIELII.

Patented Oct. 26, 1926. f

JOHN 2V. FREE, OF W'OODLAWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRANSFER APPARATUS.

Appl cation filed July 27.

My invention relates to improvements in transfer apparatus. In Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,482,921, granted me February 5, 1924, I have described apparatus for taking sheets of rolled steel one by one from a pile and for feeding them. to a tin-pot, where by coating they are converted into what is known to the industry as tin plate. My present invention has to do with improvements on that apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a view in side elevation, showing somewhat diagrammatically tin-pot feeding ap paratus embodying my invention installed for service. Fig. II is a view in end elevation of the same apparatus, looking from left to right, the tin-pot and its immediate ly associated parts being, however, omitted. Fig. III is a view to larger scale, showing in vertical section a detail which in Fig. I is shown in side elevation. Fig. IV is a view corresponding to Fig. II, but to larger scale, and showing certain parts only, separated for the sake of clearness. Fig. V is a view in plan from above of the structure shown in Fig. IV. Figs. VI and VII are diagrammatic views in plan and in side elevation, to illustrate more fully the operation of the parts included in Figs. IV and V.

Referring to Fig. I, the intake side of a tin-pot will be found, sutliciently indicated in dotted lines, at 1. Adjacent the tin-pot, on this its intake side is arranged a bosh 2, whica, filled with water, carries submerged within it, in the inclined position shown, a pack of rolled steel sheets S. These are the sheets which are to be taken one by one from the pack S, and delivered to the tin-pot, and according to established practice, thrust edgewise into the bath of molten tin within the tin-pot. The sheets in the pack S lie in parallelism to the line along which in the operation of the apparatus they are thrust edg vi e into the tin. The drawings show a succession of guide plates 8, 4, and 5, and a succession of pairs of power-driven guide and 8, each pair served by one of rolls 6, I the said guides, and by these means, it will be understood, the successive sheets are advanced, in arched, approximately semi circular course, from the bosh 2, on the right I), to tin-pot 1, on the left.

hfiy invention has to do with apparatus for talti the sheets one by one from the pack S and carrying them over the approx 1925. Serial No. 46,205.

imatelyquadrant shaped guide plate 3 and introducing them at the forward edge into the bite between the pair of feed rolls 6. Vdhen once a plate has so been introduced between rolls 6, it is apparent without further explanation, that it will be carried forward by the feeding means indicated, from right to left, and 'at length thrust downward into the tin-pot. My further description, then, will be concerned with the handling of the sheet, from its removal from pack S to its introduction into the bite between rolls 6.

A shaft 9 (Figs. I, II and III) is rotatably carried at the ends of arms 10, of

which there are two, extending adjacent the two sides of bosh 2. The arms 10 in turn are pivoted in the ends of arms 11 which swing on fixed pivots Arms 11 are further provided with rollers 13, by which they and the parts which they carry rest gravitationally upon cam disks 14- carried by a shaft 15.

From shaft 9 extend arms 16, of which pre'li'erably there are two for each bosh, and each arm 16 carries at its extremity a suction cup 17. Additionally, at its two ends shaft 9 carries crank arms 18, and these crank arms are connected by links 19 (telescopically extensible beyond a minimum length) to crank disks 20, borne by a shaft 21. The crank arms 18 are additionally provided with rollers 22 which run on inclined tracks 23, and by these means shaft 9 and the parts which it carries are limited in the range of turning under gravity and rest by their weight when they are free to do so) upon tracks 23. During a portion of the rotation of crank disk 20 the rollers engage the tracks 23, and roll down the tracks, and links 19 meanwhile elongate, as presently will be explained.

Shaft 21 rotates in synchronisin with shaft 15, and in opposite direction. Shaft 15 is the main driving shaft of the machine, and from it, through suitable interposed gearing, shaft 21 is driven. Manifcstly, shaft 21 alternatively might become the drive shaft.

The crank disks 20, by a particular shaping of the periphery, become cam disks also, and against their peripheries bear rollers 2%, which turn idly upon studs borne by arms 10. Provision is made that always rollers 24: shall engage the cam surfaces of Hit) disks 20. Conveniently, and as here shown, the parts are so arranged with respect to the vertical that the arms 10 with the parts they bear, tend always to swing under gravity upon their pivotal supports in clockwise direction (Fig. I). The particular shape at the periphery of the cam disks 20, then, determines the swing of arms 10. Similarly, the whole structure under consideration, with respect to the fixed pivots 12, rests by gravity tln'ough rollers 18 upon cam disks 14:, and the particular peripheral shape of the cam disks 14-. determines the swing of arms 11.

Arms 16. as has been said, carry suction cups 1?, and, with Fig. I in view, it is to be observed that shaft 9 is situated approximately at the center of curvature of guide plate'3; that the arms 16 are in length approximately equal to the radius of curvature of the said plate 3; and that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. I, the suction cups 17 stand adjacent the upper edge of the pack S of sheets, spaced at a small interval from the upper inclined face of the pack, and that the plane in which the edges of the cups extend is a plane which is substantially parallel to the upper inclined surface of the pack S.

The minute construction and mounting of the arms 16 are shown in Fig. Ill. By means of pins 91 extending from shaft 9 and passing through elongate holes in the bearing blocks 161' by which the arms 16 are mounted, there is a small but surhcient range of independent movement. Otherwise, the arms are responsive to the turning of shaft 9. The arms tend always to turn under gravity clockwise (Figs. I and H1) upon shaft 9. The arms are extensible to an accurately determined. maximum. In Fig. Ill the numeral 16 is immediately applied to the extensible part, and in this figure the range of extension is indicated. The arm is shown in full lines in its fully extended position, and its retracted position is indicated in dotted lines. The outward limit ot extension is fixed by the abutment ot' the shoulder 1G2'with which the extensible member 16 is provided, upon the body 161. A. gravity latch 163 serves at proper time to secure the extended member 16 from retraction. A yoke 16 1 with down-turned ends secured to the latch, serves, in cooperrtion with other parts, to raise the latch at proper time. it is the extensible member 16 which inunediately carries the suction cup 17.

Beginning with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the suction cups travel in the following course: first they advance to the pack S. in a direction radial from the center of turning 9 and perpendicular to the plane oi the surface of the topmost sheet. and they engage at their edges the topmost sheet. As they come to and preferably shortly store they make cnga emcnt with the topmost sheet suction is exerted, in consequence of which from the moment of en gagement the topmost sheet is carried by the cups in their further movement. After such engagement has been made and such condition of suction has been set up. the cups recede in radial direction with respect to the center of turning 9. In so doing they swing the topmost sheet, which still rests on its lower edge within the bosh, separate it from the underlying sheets of the pack, and bring it at its upper edge to a position of approximate tangency to the curve of guide plate 8. T he suction cups then swing upward in a curved path (shaft 9 is the center ot turning) to the elevated position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I. In so swingmg upward the cups drag the engaged sheet over the surface of guide plate 3 and thrust the forward ed e of the sheet into the bite between the pair of guide rollers G. T he rolls 6 then engaging the sheet, or. y it forward. lmmea tely when the sheet l so been carried to and delivered up to the guide rolls 6, suction is relieved, and instead a condition of pressure is set up within the cups. l lngagement of the cups with the sheet is broken and the cups then recede somewhat ttarther in radial direction with respect to the center of turning 9. They then swing downward again in curved path. on the same center of turning, and so come again approximately to the position shown in Fig. I. This completes the cycle.

The instrumentalities described effect the movement described in the following man ner. Shaft 15 with its cams 14 turns clockwise; shal t 21 with its cams 20 turns anticlockwise, and the two shafts make synchronous revolution. The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, it will be observed that l'or something more than hall a. revolution there will be no swinging 0t arms 11 upon their pivots 12, and that during that interval the arms 10 will be sustained by the arms 11, as though on fixed pivots. With attention upon the engagement oi rollers 24 upon cam disks 20, it will be observed that during this half revolution and more the rollers will traverse the edges (i-- b-0(l of the disks. As the points of engageinent of rollers 24c upon the cam disas 20 advance along the edges ot the disks beyond the points a and toward the points 0, arms 10 will swing clockwise, and arms 16 borne by shaft 9 will be carried from left to right. Because of engagement of rollers 22 upon tracks 23, this left to right advan e of the cups will be in right-line course, per pendicular to the surface of the top she-"t in pack S. Links 19, it will be rememl'iercd. are extensible from a minimum length, and it is because they are so extensible that the turning of the disks 2O anticlockwise while the points of engagement of rollers 24 with the disks advance from a to b, that the described ri-ght-line advance of the suction cups is possible. At this time the arms 16 are downwardly inclined and are consequently extended under gravity. The latch-es 163, however, are, in consequence of the engagement of the yokes 16 1 upon the tracks 23, withdrawn.

As the cam disks 2() turn and as the roller 24 in engagement upon the cam disks, progress from points a and Z) (and as in such progression the arms 10 swing clockwise) the suction cups 17 come to engagement upon the top sheet of pack S. The precise moment of this engagement will vary, .as the thickness of pack S varies. In the further swing of arms 10 the arms 16 collapse automatically, so far as may be necessary. The fact that at that time latches 163 are withdrawn, makes possible this necessary shortening of arms 16.

At the moment when the cups come to engagement upon the topmostshect of the pack, or preferably slightly before that moment, a condition of suction is, by instrumentalities presently to be described, created within the cups.

The continued turning of disks 20 causes the portion of the peripheries from Z) to c to come beneath rollers 24, and in consequence, there will be reversal of movements: the arms 16, to the extent that they have collapsed, will lengthen .again to their maximum extension, .and then arms 16 with their cups 17 will recede again, moving in right-line direction. But the recession will not be all the way to the point from which advance began, for, as will be observed, the point 0 is remote from the center of turning a some what less radial distance than the point a.

When the point a has been reached the links 19 which at first lengthened have shortened again, and come to minimum length, and, while (because the portion 0(Z of the periphery of disks 20 is an arc of a circle concentric with the center of turning) the shaft 9 will now continue on a stationary axis, the further anti-clockwise turning of disks 20 will, through links 19 and cranks 18 effect the turning of shaft 9 on its axis and the consequent upward swing ,of the cups 17. Immediately on the rise of arms 16 the latches 163, released by separation from tracks 28 will descend by gravity and lock arms 16 in their position of maximum extension. The upward swinging of arms 16 will be through a range of approximately 90, to the position shown in dotted lines, in Fig. I, where, having dragged the engaged sheet upward over guide plate 3, the cups have delivered the forward edge of the sheet to the bite between the pair of guide rolls 6. Atthat point suction is relieved and a condition of pressure is created within the cups, insuring the immediate break of the engagement of the cups upon the sheet.

Mention has been made of the play permissible between the arms 16 and the shaft 9 which, by turning, swings them. This play has value, for thus, at the moment of delivery of the sheet to the rolls 6, the arms 16 may through a suiiicient interval swing in response to the pull exerted by rolls 6 through the in-fed sheet. It is necessary, in adapting the machine to different sl1eet lengths, to change from time to time the speed of shaft 9 relatively to that of rolls 6, and this small interval, during which the arms 16 may swing in free response to the pull of rolls 6, makes possible such change in relative speeds, without disturbance. Furthermore, with this provision, small irregularities of material'have no effect, to disturb normal operation.

The cam disks 1 1- hitherto have sustained the arms 11 in elevated position. When the cups have risen to the top of their swing, the point of enga ement of cams 14 with rollers 13 (the disks turning clockwise) has advanied to m. Further turning of disks 14- canses arms 11 to swing under gravity downward through a small range. At the same time the turning of disk 20 has caused the points of engagement with rollers 24 to advance from (Z to c (with increase of efiecti e radius). The result is that shaft 9 is shifted in its position: it drops tl irough a slight interval, and moves slightly to the ion, to a center of turning indicated by the small circle 00.

The axial position of shaft 9 then remains fixed for nearly half a rotation, and during this time the disks 20 continue to turn, and arm 16 swing under gravity, rotating shaft 5) as they descend. Just before the. limit of descent is reached the turning cam disks 14 swing arms 11 upward, and in consequence the shaft 9 is again elevated slightly. Also, just before the limit of downward swing of arms 16 is reached the yokes 163 engage, through their downward extending ends 164, the tracks 23, raising the latches 162. Thus the parts come again to the position shown in Fig. I, and the cycle is completed.

It remains to describe the means for creating and relieving suction within the cups, and this in correlation to the machine parts already described.

A pump cylinder 25 is mounted in vertical position in a rigid part of the structure. The chamber within the cylinder and beneath the piston is by flexible hose con nected with the interior of the cups. Fig. III shows one of the cup-bearing arms '16 in section. The flexible connection is made immediately to the duct 26 in the arm, which, as shown, leads to the Cup.

The piston rod 36 of the piston within the cylinder 25 is secnredto the cross piece $35 of a yoke, whose depending; arms 51-. carry a clevis 27, in which is pivoted the end of u heuin 28. This beuin swung on a 'illlCTUlH which is l'ixed in the frame of the n'iuchine. rt (Kt-811th}.llQYOliCl the fulcrum point. This beaun is alternately swung,

first clockwise sud then iiuti-clochwise. At its i'urther end the besui is engaged i v it inn 3; which is borne by shaft ii point intern ediulc the 1 end )i'votcd in clovis :1 cont 33 is secured to the beam. The tension ol this sprin tends always to ruise the be: i The coin oortioned tint. soniie'thiin u rerolu. of sh flock 21', uno. sit

and

cive to the t spring is eti ective to swing: tn wise, and to effect suction. In parts which havelust been in order to distilguish the which reinuin to be des 1 ed, shown in b As I have uliiend find, co-

ren lines.

1 1'0: rdinntion is such that suction l e cllective the cups 1'? s nvonce t a to; sheet of puck S.

oi the spring inz'iy l varied by the pr of such on ad ust-uble anchorage us i. .11Clleaten at 02.

i l'urther provide that initially the suc tion which the cups 1? er'ert shall be relul'ively week (although adequate; .1 that under such relatively weulr sution the eng'uged sheet shall be swung aside and so ursted from the pack, and that when the sheet hus been swung aside and brought position of approximate tillrg:h(i to the curve of guide plate 3, then, before the upwe d swing of the cups he Ins, the suction shall be strengthened. To this end spring 83 is curried on the cross-bur 31 ot a yoke whose downward reaching urins 3.0 terminate in clevices 38. In these clevices are pivoted the outer ends oi levers 39 (one only is shown, but it will be apparent that 21 pair is requisite), pivoted at h) in e. stutionury port of the structure. The levers 39 are engaged by coin disks 41. on shaft 21. and the coins are so shaped that during; part 0% a. rotation of shu'l't 2i cross-bur 3 is raised, and the ct? ctive tension of spring 33 consequently lJClGE The came 3! and 41 are so proportioned and so purticuhn'ly located that. during a portion of the t me when con 37 inactive and beam 28 is respons ve to the tension of spring 38, (21111 4-1 is eilective, to increase the spring; tension. Lever 39 and its operating coin L1 are in Fig. VH shown in full lines. By such provision the suction first exerted is nployingg lirst u weal;

' .20 made Pluin ects which he in u tact, vith at the localized condition of 1. the cup and upon the topmost shoe relutivea i' greut in intensity and suddenly applied, will in fire qucnt instunces eistort hoth the topmost ie underlyin sheet as well, with sheet and tl g the result that two sheets inu v 3e swung aside together und 'zirried forward toi'urd the tin pot; liilll' it the C ree of suction be iip ht, the distortion till he inupgreciubie rnd 'l.e eii'ect ol the suction will be contined to the torunost sheet; one sheet and no more ill be swung asideand carried forward. The actual degree of suction will, in the J L aside and before the drugg upward begins.

In the particular slurping oi the cup l further provii'sion, preventive oi the 1g of the sheet under suction and the sheets uedu douhle). The body of the cup, formed ordinuri of rubber, 1,: secr ad to u suituhly disposed surl'uce upon urin 16 by means oi a nut This nut is externally but ed or rounded so that, while utl ording su'hicient space within the cup, it rises centrally uhnost to the plane in whi h e cup when under suction cup; res the cot. "This denied nut otters its body. to event any appreciable loci} winning); o? e sheet by suction. lhe nut. or

thi stud which curries it, is ported to ul'iord cousins nicutidn with the pump cylinuer Return ng to the mutter oi the pnrticulur shape oi cum 3?, I will attention to th rise 371 in its file. (Fig. VB 1 l h in mind that in o anti-clockwise :is here seen. it ceived thut the effect 0'! this shrug): rise wi he suddenly and p wertul to drive downward the piston within c ilinder 2:), clump ing the condition of su "ion within the (up to u condition ot pressure, and so certainly and at the proper ii stunt to break the suction hold of the cup upon the sheet. lhis uent dunner of carrying two adhering- 1 cup with the sheet.

occurs at the moment the cup comes to its highest point (shown in dotted lines in Fig. I), when the raised cups have carried the sheet to engagement by the rolls 6.

The bosh 2 is oiidii'iarily full of water, and, accordingly the cups l7 plunge beneath and suctionally engage the sheets under water. It follows that cylinder 25 and the hose connection and the cups when in service are full of water or substantially so. I find that under such conditionsthe stroke of the piston would, but for preventive measures, act with undesired violence in the ei'igagement of the cup upon the sheet. In order to cushion this engagement I form in the cylinder Wall a port 43 opening eitherdirectly or through another body of liquid to the open air, and in this opening I place a pet-cock 44. This pet-cock I adjust, until I get precisely the intensity I desire in the engagement of the The port 43 controlled by the pet-cock is at all times during the course of the operation open. Since, as has been said, the cups and the hose and the cylinder are at all times substantially full of water, reversal of the stroke of the piston has immediate effect, tending to create within the cups a condition of pressure and thereforeimmediately releasing them from their engagement upon the sheet.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus for conveying sheet material a movable member, a suction cup borne by said member, means for creating within the cup a condition of suction, means for shifting the cup while such condition of suction is maintained within it, means operat ing in sequence upon the means last named for exhausting air from the cup when the cup already is in engagement upon the material.

2. In apparatus for conveying sheet material and in combination with a support for material to be conveyed, a movable member, means for moving said member first in a direction perpendicular to the surface of sheet material borne on said support, and, sequent thereon, in a direction transverse to the initial direction of motion, a suction cup borne by said member, means for maintaining within the cup a condition of relatively weak suction during its initial movement and of relatively strong suction during its sequent movement aforesaid.

In tin-pot feeding apparatus, the combination with a tin-pot, of a bosh arranged adjacent the tin-pot at its intake end, means for sustaining within the bosh and in inclined position a pack of sheets, conveying means adapted to carry to the tin-pot sheets fed from the bosh, and means for feeding sheets one by one from the bosh to said conveying means, such means including a laterally shifting and upwardly swinging member, a suction cup borne by the member last named, and means for maintaining within the cup a condition of relatively weak suction during the lateral shift of the cup-bearing member and a condition of rel atively strong suction during the upward swing of said member.

In. tin-pot feeding apparatus, the combination with a tin-pot, of a bosh arranged adjacent the tin-pot at its intake end, means for sustaining within the bosh and in inclined position a pack of sheets, conveying means adapted to carry to the tin-pot sheets ed froin the bosh, and means for feeding sheets one by one from the bosh to said carrying means, such feeding means including a rotary shaft, extending in parallelism to the surface of a pack of sheets within the bosh, means for shifting said shaft toward and away from a pack of sheets within the bosh, means for effecting intermittent rotation of said shaft, an arm borne by said shaft and rotatable through a limited range independently of shaft rotation, a suction cup borne by said arm, and means for alternately creating and destroying a condition of suction within the cup.

In tin-pot feeding apparatus the combination with a tin-pot, of a bosh arranged adjacent the tin-pot at its intake end, means for sustaining within the bosh a pack of sheets, conveying means adapted to carry to the tin-pot sheets fed from the bosh, such conveying means including a pair of feed rolls, and means for carrying sheets one by one from the bosh to the feed rolls, said carrying means including a suction cup and including also a lost-motion device, whereby on engagement by said rolls the sheet is unrest 'ained inits response to the action of the rolls upon it.

6. In tin-pot feeding apparatus the. com-- bination, with a tin-pot and with a bosh arranged adjacent the tin-pot at its intake end and adapted to carry in inclined position a pack of sheets to be tinned, two horizontally extending oppositely and synchronously rotating shafts arranged adjacent one another and adjacent said bosh, a pair of arms swinging on fixed pivots, a pair of cams borne by one of said shafts and adapted to swing said arms in vertical planes as the shaft rotates, a second pair of arms pivoted to the first pair of arms, a pair of cams borne by the second of said shafts and adapted to swing in vertical planes the arms of the second pair, a third shaft borne by said second pair of arms, means for rotating the last named shaft in response to the turning of one of the two shafts previously mentioned during a portion of a revolution of the latter, the said shaft being opposite- -ly rotatable under gravity, an arm extensible under gravity borne by the third shaft named above and provided with a latch adapted to lock said arm in extended position, means for shifting said latch in response to the turning under gravity of said thirc. shaft and of the said arm which it carries, a suction cup borne by said arm, and means for creating a condition of suction within said cup.

In apparatus for conveying sheet material, a movable member, a suction cup borne by said member, apump cylinder containing a piston, fluid communication between said cup and said cylinder, a s1 ring, means for bringing the tension of the spring to bear upon the piston within the cylinder, and means for increasing wir e the spring is in action its eti'ective tenon upon said piston.

8. in apps as for conveying sheet material, a lllOVablQ member, asuction cup borne by said member, a pump cylinder containing;' a piston, fluid communication between said ap and said cylinder, a rotary shaft, means operated by said shaft in its rotation for shifting said movable member, a spring, and means operated by said shaft in its rotation for causing the spring to exert its tension upon said piston, first with minor and then with major force.

9. In apparatus for conveying sheet material, a movable member, a suction cup borne by said member, a vertically slanding pump cylinder containing a piston, fluid communication between said cup and the chamber in said cylinder beneath the piston, a rotary shaft, means operated by said shaft in its rotation for shifting'said mov abie member, a cam borne by said shaft, a vertically swinging beam interi'nittently engaged by said cam, connection between said beam and the piston within said cylinder, a spring anchored in a vertically movable support and engaging said beam, a second cam borne by said shaft, and a lever on gagcd by said second cam and engaging the support for said spring;

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 

